Saudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping

Aden and Dubai - The Saudi Arabian government has temporarily suspended its East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh claimed originated in Iraq, a country that hosts Iranian-backed militias. The 1,200-kilometer pipeline, which stretches across the Arabian Peninsula, temporarily halted operations after the attack, which threatened to disrupt the flow of oil and increase global energy prices.

The pipeline, which had been transporting 4 million to 5 million barrels per day or 4% to 5% of global supply, had helped Saudi Arabia bypass a bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely slowed due to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry stated that the shutdown was a precautionary measure.

However, it remains unclear who was responsible for the attack, as satellite images showed smoke rising from an area south of Medina.